# Abigail (2019 American film)

Abigail is a 2019 American short drama film directed and produced by Max Hechtman and Christonikos Tsalikis. The film served as Hechtman's senior thesis for his Bachelor of Science in Film and Media at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It is influenced by a one-scene screenplay of the same name by writer Jason K. Allen and is inspired by a true story dealing with the subject matter of end-of-life decisions.
It was first screened as part of the FIT Film and Media Program's senior show on May 17, 2019 before embarking on a film festival run that was done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It received positive reviews and won the Audience Award at the 2020 Long Island International Film Expo and the award for Best Film at the Point Lookout Film Festival.

## Premise

A lonely and elderly widower struggles to come to terms with the loss of his wife and the circumstances surrounding her death. When he visits her grave, he encounters a little girl who shows him the path to healing and fills him with hope.

## Cast

* Richie Allan as Elmer
* Elvira Tortora as Abigail
* Lauren Hart as Woman at Cemetery
* Leilani Marie Vasquez as The Girl

## Production
### Development

Jason K. Allen's original script for the film was of just the cemetery scene. When Max Hechtman optioned the script, documentary filmmaker Josh Koury, his professor at the time, encouraged Hechtman to expand upon it in order to fit the requirements of the senior thesis assignment. Hechtman worked closely with his mother, Meryl Hechtman, co-director Christonikos Tsalikis and script editor Miscelleana Tsalikis to make the story fit the required 15-20 minute length limit of the assignment. This involved incorporating the plot details on how Abigail dies and the use of non-linear flashbacks, using the film adaptation of The Notebook (2004) and the opening "Married Life" sequence from the Disney/Pixar film Up (2009) as sources of inspiration.
It is Hechtman's first narrative short to feature professional actors in the roles, with Elvira Tortora and child actress Leilani Marie Vasquez making their screen debuts as Abigail and The Girl respectively.

### Filming

Filming took place in Merrick, NY and at All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, NY from November 21, 2018 to April 25, 2019.

### Post-production

Post-production on the film was completed in August 2019.

## Release

It was first screened as part of the FIT Film and Media Program's senior show on May 17, 2019 and was a year later named a quarterfinalist in Stage 32's 5th Annual Short Film Contest. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its first public screening took place virtually on October 6, 2020 at the 2020 Long Island International Film Expo, where it won the Audience Award, and was nominated for Best Short Film, Best Long Island Short Film and Best Director. This was followed by screenings at the Point Lookout Film Festival on March 31, 2021, the Golden Door Film Festival on April 24, 2021, the Long Beach International Film Festival on July 27, 2021 and the Portland Film Festival on October 6, 2021.

## Reception

Jenna Reilly of Take 2 Indie Review gave the film 4 stars and wrote that it "not only explores the emotional toll of grieving a loved one – it also gives the viewer a powerful message of hope. If we are open to receiving the signs that surround us – we realize that our loved ones are always with us and that love – never dies." Indie Shorts Mag gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5, calling it "a view into the swirling, disorienting mass of grief that has woven itself into the life of an aged man without his wife," and noted the influence of Michael Haneke's Amour (2012) and the films of Mike Flanagan on the film's slightly-desaturated visual style and use of symbolism.

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Film Festival | Recipient | Result |
| 2020 | Quarterfinalist | Stage 32 5th Annual Short Film Contest | Abigail | Won |
| 2020 | Audience Award | Long Island International Film Expo | Abigail | Won |
| 2020 | Best Short Film | Long Island International Film Expo | Abigail | Nominated |
| 2020 | Best Long Island Short Film | Long Island International Film Expo | Abigail | Nominated |
| 2020 | Best Director | Long Island International Film Expo | Max Hechtman Christonikos Tsalikis | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Film | Point Lookout Film Festival | Abigail | Won |
| 2021 | Best Local Film | Point Lookout Film Festival | Abigail | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Director | Point Lookout Film Festival | Max Hechtman Christonikos Tsalikis | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Actor | Point Lookout Film Festival | Richie Allan | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Produced Script | Point Lookout Film Festival | Jason K. Allen Max Hechtman Meryl Hechtman | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Cinematography | Point Lookout Film Festival | Joe Daniele Joe DeFelice | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Drama | "Hang Onto Your Shorts" Film Festival | Abigail | Nominated |